Oxfordshire Junior League – Banbury (12th Aug)

Banbury played host to the second round of the Oxford Junior Athletics League held last Sunday. Bicester’s under 17 girls were in scintillating form as they picked up 5 wins in A string events including every track event where they fielded a competitor. Tia Brown equalled her personal best of 13.0secs in winning the 100 metres which was also a national grade 4 effort with teammate Rushani Arumugham running a season’s best to take the B string (14.3secs). Brown also recorded a new personal best in winning the 200 metres (28.2s) with Charlotte Hewett taking the B event (31.7s). Brown won the B Long jump (4.21m) but she was outjumped by Arumuguham who finished 2nd in the A string (4.36m). And Ebony Rose Lennon also acquired the winning habit as she took the 800 metres in a season’s best of 3mins 6.1secs. Brown, Arumugham, Rose Lennon and Hewett then combined to win the 4 by 100 metre relay (57.7secs).

There are few athletes who have got the better of the redoubtable Amber Parker in the throwing events this year. And once again Parker was in winning form in the under 15 throwing events as she recorded double wins in the shot putt (8.97m) and discus (22.31m) both of which were national grade 4 efforts. Bicester’s only other win in the under 15 girl events was in the high jump with Georgia Usher taking the honours with a leap of 1.30m.

Bicester’s under 15 boys were also in good form in the high jump with Samuel Rayson taking 2nd in the A string (1.50m) and Ben Groves recoding a new personal best clearing 1.50m to win the B event. Rayson produced a national grade 4 and new personal best of 13.3secs to take 2nd in the 80m hurdles. Although not a winner, Freya McGinlay produced a cracking a national grade putt of 7.17m to finish 2nd in the under 13 girl’s shot which was also a new personal best.

Louis Bushby made an impressive start in his maiden bow for the club. Contesting B strings he competed in three under 15 boy track events in each case running faster than the Bicester A string. His sole win came in the 1500 metres where he recorded the 2nd fasted time by a Bicester male this year with 4mins 49.6secs. Bushby also recorded respectable times in the 100 metres (13.6secs) and 300 metres (44.4secs).

Anna Joliffe produced another very good under 13 girl’s 1500 metres as she was just outside her best in finishing 4th in 5mins 30.3secs. There were season bests for Sam White who finished 2nd in the under 17 men’s 100 metres with 12.4secs and Erin Fabri who was 6th in the under 15 girl’s 100 metres (14.4secs). Alexander Nicolaides dipped under the 15 second barrier for the first time as he finished 6th in the under 13 boy’s 100 metres (14.9secs). Nicolaides also equalled his personal best on the way to 4th place in the high jump (1.25m). With Jacob Gough down on his best in the javelin (2nd in the B with 15m) Nicolaides stepped up to the A string with a promising 2nd throwing 18.18m.

Joshua Parker came up against some stiff competition in the under 13 boy’s 200 metres and long jump but he still managed national grade 4 efforts of 28.9s and long jump (4.15m). And there were new personal bests for Jennifer Critchley in the under 13 girl’s 70m hurdles (14.7secs) and javelin (15.15m) with Critchley also taking 3rd in the 800 metres (2mins 46.6secs).

Kyle Rayson has been Bicester’s outstanding boy in the quad competition and he finished an overall 8th in the under 11 event. Rayson was consistently good across the range of events producing good points scores in the 75m (11.6secs) and 600m (2mins 18secs). Noah Eastgate was Bicester’s 2nd finisher in 15th producing Bicester’s best time in the 600 metres (2mins 9.7secs). He was just 10 points ahead of Simon Cheeseman who was 20th overall with solid efforts across all 4 events.

There was a fantastic scrap amongst the Bicester under 11 girls. Isabelle Webb came out on top with 167 points with her best event the 600 metres where she ran 2mins 9.3secs. Only 4 points separated Bicester’s next four finishers with Jasmine Hendon 12th helped by two good efforts in the track events. She was just three points in front of 13th placed Bethany Wetton who produced the longest jump (3.02m) and four points in front of Jessica Garside who ran the fastest 75m (11.9secs), which was a new personal best.